More surprises...

More flowers that just appeared in my backyard.

Purple and viney, not necessarily a part of
the surrounding vegetation in these pics.

The yard is getting more and more overgrown with each rainstorm. Even my welcome mat is green. :) (You think I'm kidding, after this last storm and the humidity and warmth, I've got some kind of algae growing on my front porch mat...)

For Posterity

This was the day of my grandmother's funeral.

Afterwards, we went to the farm to do some arranging and such, and I took some pictures of her flowers. This is the walkway being impinged upon by irises and the view from the hill. You can see all the different types in this photo: iris, cabbage roses, peonies, and a lily of some type (as well as some overgrown grass).

One of my favorite iris colors--so vibrant!

I've always loved poppies.

These are the color of the cake she made me for my 16th birthday.

Peonies in the shade.

The roses are about done. I love the cascade of petals in this one.

She hasn't lived on the farm for about a year, so this is the flowers after being untended for that long. The relative lack of weeds (there are some, but not nearly as many as in my flowerbeds) is a testament to how carefully she watched them. This is at ground level up the path. The green stalk in the middle will become firecracker flowers by July.

Just One More...

Guest image of one of my daffodils that I gave away. :)

First Dandelion

It's a Sickness...

Yet another new kind of flower in my yard:
It's kinda like Christmas, these things come up out of the ground, and then you wait to see what they'll be.
These are *tiny* and they look like little upside-down grape clusters.

And this is the last daffodil shot, I promise. :)

Progressions 4

Progressions 3

Finally, daffodils!

Progressions 2

Progressions 1

Something Purple!

As I went over to my soon-to-be daffodils to give them their morning pep talk ("Come on daffy-dills, you can do it!" [Yes, I actually do this.]), what should I notice next to them, but something already blooming! :)

And something just about to be blooming. Don't worry, I cleaned the leaves and stuff out from around them so that they can breathe better.

As if it isn't obvious, I am breathlessly awaiting spring!

Spring Is Coming...

See those flowers in there, just bursting to get out?
Soon, Grasshopper, soooonnn...

One Perfect Blossom Remains

Not Art...

Drying roses in the doorway.

I had to explain they weren't permanent.
Some people must think I'm extremely eccentric... :o)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sometimes traditional is just lovely... :o)

The Colors of the World...

... are changing, day by day... (10 points for the song ref)

This is the mango ice cream from The Globe Indian restaurant here in Topeka. It's gorgeous (*and* yummy).

And this is a "cleome" according to Hank. By my reckoning, it's a Dr. Seuss character... ;-)

Marching One-by-One

Ants on a flower outside my bedroom window.

Floral Fireplug Finery

This is the fire hydrant a couple of blocks down from my place. Hank says these are "ghost lilies." Just stalks that stick up out of the ground with bunches of flowers on the end of them. They are everywhere right now. I don't think these were planted purposely, as a bed of them isn't far away in this yard, but all things of this nature should have such lovely backdrops. :o)

Cleaning Day

Today, I went back to do the last cleaning and checking to be sure I got everything. Snapped this as I drove out of the driveway for the last time. Goodbye hibiscus in Lawrence.

Here's the place totally clean and ready for the new tenant (who was actually in the place when I took this last photo):
And here's my living room that was pictured below, after I made it livable (I actually live here, now, I have a chair with remotes nearby):

A Room with a View

If I wake up way too early (like 5:30) in my new house, this is what it eventually looks like out my bedroom window.

New Environs

Slept in my own bed for the first time at the new place. (Commuted less than 5 minutes this morning. Wahoo!!) I was feeling kind of sad to leave the flowers I'd discovered in Lawrence, but I walked out in my backyard this morning and these were there waiting. And, my new favorite tree has *flowers*!